Joseph h



J. H. BAIR COUNTER Feb. 5 1924. 1,482,539

Filed 001;. 29 1917 INVENTOR.

Josef/l B A TTORNEY.

Patented F 5,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH H. BAIB, OE PHILADEIJHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

COUNTER.

Application filed October 89, 1917. Serial Inuit).

' class adapted to keep a score and to register on the dial thereon the number of times an act, or operation, is repeated. It is suitable in form to be fastened on a machine to count revolutions or reciprocating movements thereof and it can be arranged in a series to kee a record of selective operations thereo Such as for example, in a railroad ticket issuing machine, a counter would be provided for each destination to keep a record of the tickets issued to each destination. The counter is also of coni venient form to be carried in an inside pocket, and to be held in the handin takmg a count, for example of assersby.

The primary object of t e invention is to provide a counter capable of counting lags-units, and by halves, as desired. The units wheel has two teeth exposed b means of which to actuate the counter. Vhen it is turned the distance of one tooth a half is added to the total shown in the dial, and when moved by two .teeth a unit isadded.

The counter is suitable to be placed in a compact series, tight together, tilted at a required angle and overlapping like shingles) so that the dial exposed shows its reading to the best advantage. The series.

can be placed under a glass or transparent" cover to kee out dust and from being tampered wit 1. Only one counter driver, shiftable with reference to the counter series with which it selectively co-operates', is reuired. This driver has a fixed stroke the istance of the two teeth exposed on the counter and there are selective means for causing the counter to make strokes corresponding to two teeth in length or to idle during a portion of such strokes and so count halves and the driver can bemade to co-operate with any counter of a series by moving the counter and the series relatively. This counter, being ,much lighter in weight than commercial counters now available, can be practically grouped on a manually shiftable selective device, in various ways, as, for example, radially disposed around the shaft of a turn-stile, or

side by side, tilted and partly overlapping to expose the reading dial of each in the uncovered position, in the case of a sliding selector. I

To these ends I provide the counter of the construction and operation illustrated in the accompanyin drawings and hereinafter fully describe and claimed.

In the drawings Figure I is a longitudinal cross section .on line 1-1-of Figure IV showing how the counter wheels overlap and are confined between the top and bottom walls of the terraced casin flanged hub for eac Figure II is a plan view of a preferred in which is spun a of the counter wheels.

form of the counter with the top cover removed showing all the counter wheels 'in-,

operative position and showin the windows indicated. In t is position when the units wheel is moved forward one notch (of the two) all the wheels will be carried forward, as indicated by the arrows,

a half step into the position in which they are shown in FigureIII.

Figure III is a plan view with the top cover on with certain parts thereof out" is moved a notch showing said number in- 1 creased by a half.

Figure IV is a plan view of the counter; arranged to count by units only. Thef windows are not extended as in the '\half' counter shown in previous fi res and the units wheel has not half steps ut unit steps like the wheels of the higher denominations. Figure V is the bottom housing case for either form shown above. On it is shown a cutaway at the units end to expose the required teeth of the units whee a flange around the edge; bearing hubs for the wheels; clearance races for the carrying lug on each wheel but the last; clearance places for the springs and stepped faces supportin the hubs.

igure VI is a longitudinal cross section on line VI--VI of Figure VIII of an alter native. formof the counter, similar to Figtire I.

Figure VII a plan view, with cover re moved, of an alternative form of my half counter, showing the working arrangement of the counter wheels thereof also the ill) position and form of the windows in the removed cover is indicated.

lFi ure Will is a plan view of this count er with the top cover arranged like Figure 1V to count by units only.

Figure TX is u fragment or two articulating wheels in operative relation to each other showing how the actuated wheel is loclre by the actuator against rotation end once in the revolution of the letter is curried e step by it,

The machine is housed by the two stairwey like plates ll and 12 made to conform to each other and are enclosed and held prop erly spec-ed bymeons flange l? on the hose plots with car 18 thereon to turn over on te plate to hold the ease rigidly toret Un the hose plate ll is a series of "curing tlenges l3 concentric with them respectively ere carrying rece-wuys 14', end at the lower margin clearance places 15 for the springs. On the top cover superposed with 15 ere spring spaces 21. @n the top cover ulso nre risers 1'6 and on the bottom plate risers hetween the respective purniiei faces 38 end 39. The elements iii are celled risers in analogy to the hoards which connect the tnseds oi a stair-case, or in other words, because they ere the elements which extend crosswise hetween parailei plnnes rising from one plane to the other, In the too cover are windows 23. Common to looth x ates end at end is a cutout 19 to expose the teeth 24: of the units counter wheel 22. At the top of the cut-out is e 2d is formed by the cssing plot-ennd 112,

{in one the teeth 24 of each counter wheel (except that of highest denomination) is n face pin 25 which once in u revolution curries the wheel of next higher derunninatiwn into whose plane it extends, one step. lln the nlternstive type of counter which my invention embodies eech counter Wheel 253 is made up of two superposed disks 2'3 and 2?, which are held rigidly together in their turning relation by means of a slot end pin 37 (Figures Vll to Hi). Underlying the units wheel which is identical with the units wheel ot' the preferred form of counter (illustrated in Figures 1 to V), except for the carrying pin 25, is a circular disk 26, revolving rigid with it, and having thereon a carryin tooth projecting from its circuler e ge face 31. Each succeeding higher denomination Wheel 22 has its under meniher 26 identical with this first one. But the corresponding upper member thereot instead of being e. ratchet as in the units wheel (and as are all the wheels of the tor-red type, is a disk 27 with concave and notches 29 therein equally spaced around its edge. These concave edges 28 of disk 27 successively contornr to the circular rim 31 of disk 26 thus holding disk 2'? against ro teas tation until lug 30 engages notch 29 and carries disk 27 a step to conform the adjacent concave edge thereon, thus advanced, to

the riin. The wheels 22 are so stepped or terraced that the under members 26 thereof are in the planes respectively of the upper members 27 and in the operative reistion just described. All the wheels have a large bearing hole 32 by which to mount them on their proper hub 13. A hole 33, for such hub 13, in the top cuse allows its respective hub to -project through, thus being it means of aligning the two covers and of putting a screw through the hub eyelet to fasten the counter to nny'niecliine required without hearing on the top coverlQr to prodoc-e a bralre on the discs.

in the preferred counter (rum ll) each two wheels 22 have a spring 34 hetween them fastened to the housing case flange 17 by means of a rivet 36. 'lhese wheels move counter to each othen and have their ratchet teeth reversed to each other. These teeth articulate with the free ends of the spring which keeps the wheels from iumhling' and prevents them from being turned lmclrward. The Word fumbling is used to imply dancing forward into some intermediate or cocked position due to vibration or rapid carrying when the impact is too hard to carry the wheels just a step. in making a half step the spring of the units Wheel will drop into the notch but those of any other wheels will be in the position shown in Figure lll through the break in the casing. As these wheels can be placed a hall step forword only when being curried they will be held as securely against retraction or tumbling when the spring rests down in the ratchet notch. in the type shown in Figure VH1 oil the wheels are locked all the time as in preferred form whether in transit or on the half step, because they are geared together and when spring 34 drops into its notch on the units wheel ratchet no back lush can talre place anywhere in the series.

A novel feature of this form of counter is the elongation of the dial Window so as to allow its wheel whose numbers it exposes to move a half step without removing the number in View or presenting the next; one. On the units dial the numbers are arranged siniilarly to those of the other disks but in addition there is a 3; interposed between each two numbers but at a different radial distance from the center (see Figures H and Vll). The elongated window 23 for this units position. in the total dial of the counter, has also an 1!. extension into the path of the halves (i). Thus in F igure H the dial reads 999999; no t shows in said units window. All the carrying lugs 25 are respectively against a tooth 24: in line on the numeral disk 22 adjacent the next higher denomination. When the units disk is new advanced til ill?

one notch, there being twice as many notches thereon (two notches for each number) as on the succeeding disks of higher denomination, all of the disks are carried without lost motion a half step. The numbers 9, shown in the total dial, are each transferred to the opposite end of their respective elongated windows and a 11- is exposed in the L extension of the units window. The total now stands 999,999 5 (Compare dial in Figure II with that in. Figure III.) In this position all the disks are locked'as the lugs 25 hold them against retraction. The spring on the units disk has dropped into a notch and all the other springs hold their wheels from fumbling forward by pressure as is shown in the cut away of Figure III. Advancing the units disk another notch brin s all Os into the dial, as is shown in igure VII, which clears the machine.

Terraced plates havin thereon marginal spacing flanges, flange hubs, raceways for carrying pins and clearance springs, such as are disclosed herewith and employed to house and confine the counter discs have other advantages beside cheapness, compactness and convenience of handling and of po sitioning already enumerated. Chief of these is the rigidity obtained. The various crimps and turnovers embodied afford a casing, although made from the thinnest sheet metal stock, a truss-like reinforcement and rigidity only otherwise obtainable by the employment of ve much heavier stock. Such consequent lig tness and compactness of construction thus obtained makes these counters available in series where compactness and lightness are especially required and where their use was heretofore barred. Again the number wheels are confined by the opposed faces of the various terraces of the housing between which they are arranged and so the alignment of the wheels is attained and preserved.

Although I have shown herewith but two embodiments of my invention the details of construction thereof may be varied in many particulars, and additions, such as an attached ratchet pawl actuating arm, without departing from the spirit of my invention, I do not wish, therefore, to be understood as limiting myself to the precise arrangement, construction or combination of parts disclosed or uses enumerated.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a counter the combination of a series of rotatably mounted counter disks parallel to each other but not coaxial and having a carrying relation between them, two terraced housing covers with their corresponding faces parallel and conforming to each other and adapted to confine between these conforming faces the respective counter disks as described.

2. In a counter the combination of a series of counter disks in carryin relation to each other and each having a caring hole by means of which it is mounted parallel but not coaxial with the others, two terraced housing covers with their corresponding faces parallel and conforming to each other and having for each terrace a flanged u bearing hub on one of the covers and a hu hole in the other to register with it and to receive on each hub its respective disk confined between the companion terrace faces, a marginal flange on one of the covers to space it from the other and to co-operate with it to maintain the fixed relation for the disks as described.

3. In a counter the combination of a series of counter wheels mounted in-carrying relation to each other, a housing for the counter, a numeral series on each wheel and on the units wheel a 5 inserted between each of the numerals but not in their wake of rotation, an elongated sight opening for each of the wheels covering a numeral and the space between it and the adjacent one and a sight opening for the i in the units wheel as described.

4. A counter of the class described provided with means for repeating the dis lay of the total digit count when a half is a ded to the digit exposure of the units wheel and for progressively displaying the total count when other additions to the units wheel ex- 

